Departments



Articles

Less

Editorial: Timely Guest Editorials & Letters Are Welcome
May 14th, 2010

Editorial: But He Wasn`t Taking His Meds
April 24th, 2010

Editorial: Editorial: Earth Day 2010
April 20th, 2010

Editorial: Editorial: New Cross-Florida Canal?
April 5th, 2010

Editorial: Editorial: State of the Birds
March 31st, 2010

Editorial: Editorial: Our Members Are Vital to Our News Mission
March 6th, 2010

Editorial: Editorial: Follow the Money
January 21st, 2010

Editorial: Editorial: Thanks to All
January 14th, 2010

Editorial: 2009 In Review
January 10th, 2010

Editorial: Editorial: Concussion in Athletes Deserves More Attention
December 13th, 2009

Editorial: Editorial: Thanksgiving 2009
December 1st, 2009

Editorial: Editorial: Domestic Violence Affects All of Us
November 13th, 2009

Editorial: The Obscenity Conundrum
November 6th, 2009

Editorial: Editorial: The Obscenity Conundrum
October 30th, 2009

Editorial: Cedar Key 2009 Seafood Festival
October 9th, 2009

More

Blue Pencil Needed on Levy County Budget

Blue Pencil Needed on Levy County Budget

Editorial

The Levy County Commission held budget and millage rate hearings September 11 and 25. However, the public was not given copies of the budget, even though the millage rate is based on the budget. The result was that property taxes were increased 26 percent. That increase was approved by four commissioners, with only Commissioner Nancy Bell voting against the increase. In the absence of any significant discussion by the commissioners of the need for such a large increase, the taxpayers need to examine the budget and look for excesses, department by department.

The commissioners gave a 27 percent increase to the Administrator's Department. That is on top of a 62 percent increase the previous year. In just two years the budget for administration doubled from $179,237 to $365,000.

The commissioners gave the Building and Zoning Department a 30.6 percent increase, from $627,025 to $818,935. That increase came on top of a 37 percent budget increase for Building and Zoning the previous year. Note that Building and Zoning was given $310,000 more than the department actually spent in 2005-2006 fiscal year. This looks like padding the budget!

The Legal Department budget is not easily understood. Each of the past two years the Legal Department would appear to have spent less than was budgeted. However, and it is a big however, during the past thirty months outside attorneys from five law firms have been paid $549,320 for legal services. That may explain why the Legal Department is now being given $430,994 for the coming year. A full discussion of the Legal Department budget and past need for help from outside law firms might help taxpayers understand the increases.

There may be other department budgets that need discussion. One item in the budget that is particularly large is on page 100, where the Landfill budget jumped from $1,422,422 to $6,231,525. The taxpayers of Levy County might be interested to know the need for an increase in the budget of over $4,000,000 for landfill. One might ask, "Are our tax dollars being used in the landfill?"

The next Levy County Commission meeting starts at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, November 7, most appropriately on Election Day. Cedar Key News has been informed that a discussion of the property tax rate and the county budget will be on the agenda. We recommend that all citizens that want to know a justification for a 26 percent increase in taxes be at the November 7 meeting.

Click for printer friendly version

Email this article to a friend

 

 

© 2013
Cedar Key News

cedarkeynews@gmail.com